Plate-press for the manufacture of pressed composite insulating sheets or plates.



E. HAEFI-L LY, E ATE PRESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FRESSED COMPOSITEINSULATINGSHEETS 0R PLATES,

APPLICATION FILED IIIAYHLIQIT- A 1,246,740 Patented N0v.13,.1917.

2 SHEET l.

. E. HAEFEL Y. PLATE PRESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PRESSED COMPOSITEINSUL ATING SHEETS QR PLATES.

I APPUCATION FJLED MAYI'M'IQII- 1 $46,740. Patented'Nov. 13, 1917.

inanimat ora on] BASEL,

PIATE PRESS FOR. THE RE E i) COMPOSITE INSULATING SHEETS on, Lar-.zlpplication filed is,

To all whom it may some?" f Be itlrnown that I, EMIL EIAEFELY, a citizenof the Swiss Republic, and res dent of Basel, Switzerland, have inventeda new and useful Plate-Press for the ldanufacturc oi,

Pressed Composite Insulatin Sheets Plates, of which the following isfull, clear, and exact specification,

Plate-presses are known in which the pressure is brought into operationupon the work-piece from'the middle part toward the sides thereof. Forthispurpose some kinds of machines employ elastic intermediate layers,other kinds empiriyelastita counten pressure rails. Both kinds of havethe disadvantage that in the closed condition of the press the pressureas a rule is not distributed uniformly over the whole extent of thematerial to be pressed, apart from the considerationthat they are notsuited for high pressures.

The invention relates to a plate-press for the manufacture of compositeinsulating sheets or plates of paper or the like in layers gluedtogether under a high pressure gradually progressing toward the sides,"which is not only suited for high pressures (for instance 300atmospheres), but also acts with uniform pressure upon the materialtreated in the final stage of the pressing process. This plate-presscomprises two press-plates one of which is roof-like sloping, and actedupon by an elastic pressure medium transmitting the applied pressure, isarranged finally be brought into lei'el position and to be supportedthereinby a rigid back-bearing, so as to distribute from this moment thepressure with uniform strength over the whole extent of the insulatingmaterial.

With a press of this kind compressed sheets of insulating material, forinstance paper, of a suitable thickness (2 inches and more) can easilybe manufactured free from blisters and creases.

Either one or both of the press-plates, according to the kind ofmaterial to be pressed, can be arranged so as to be heated, for exampleby means of steam, hot air, hot. oil and the like, or their heating maybe dispensed with.

A special constructional form of this plate-press is the onein which thepressplate acted upon by the elastic pressure medium is divided orsectioned in the and has its parts or sectio posiioned by Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13., 1917.. Serial No. 168,543.

the elastic pressure medium toward both sides like a sloping roof.-

ln that case the divided press-plate is th advantage supported in theneighbordivision joint by the pressure medium, for instance compressionsprings, and is springsupported' on side rams at its sides parallel tosaid joint, so thatthe parts or sections of the platedilringthe'pressing process can yield in the vertical directionis apartial vertical section of the the lower 7) is displaceableperpendicularly to the upper press-plate by means of hydraulic raisingpistons. Both pressplates, in the example shown, are provided in theirinteriors with heating channels (see F 2 adapted to receive a heatingmedium which is supplied to them through the pipes c,

nevertheless under certain circumstances it press-plates to be heated.

may suflice to arrange for only one'of the The lower press-plate b istransversely dii'ided or sectioned in the middle'at ahand its parts orsections rest at that point i spring acted pistons f, which are he therigid back-pressure hear a, the sections of the plate in normalcondition forming a ridge and being adjusted sloping in such a mannerthat the same are inclined to the horizontal from the middle toward bothsides like a roof. as appears from Fig. 1. At the sides parallel to thedivision joint (Z the two sections of the press-plate b are supported onspring buffer levers g (Fig. 1).

In the use of the press a pile of insulating material m, for instanceconsisting of sheets of paper layered and stuck together by means ofvarnish, is placed upon the lower press-plate b, and then the pressisset in operation so that the lower press-plate 6 with the-insulatingmaterial is raised against the upper pressplate a, the press-platesbeing heated if desired. During this rising movement first the middlepart of the pile of insulating material lying over the ridge formed bythe junction of the two half plates comes into contact with'the upperpress-plate a, so that the pressure first begins to be applied in themiddle of the mass of insulating material. In the} further course of thepressing process in which the spring acted pistons f are graduallypressed down and the inclination of the sections of the press-plate Z2becomes gradually less, the pressure is then propagated gradually anduniformly toward the sides so that the layers of insulating materialunder the gradually progressing pressure toward the sides are compressedwithout creases against one another, by smoothing away excess amounts ofadhesive. inclosed air. moisture and the like, so that the layers arestuck solid together. Finally, as soon as the sections of the dividedpress-plate b are supported in their horizontal position by the rigidbackbearing '2". the pressure becomes distributed with uniform strengthover the whole extent of the insulating material and there now follows auniform final pressure over the entire surface under treatment. In thismanner a compressed article of suitable thickness is obtained free fromblisters and creases. In the course of the pressing process the sectionsof the press-plate b are somewhat displaced in a lateral direction andthe lateral buffer levers g tend to push same back so that these levershold the sections of the plate at the joint continuously in contact withone another. Upon the pressing process ceasing the levers shift thesections of the plate back again into their slightly inclined starting*position.

'What- I claim is 1. In a plate-press for the purpose described, twopress-plates for pressing compositeinsulating material between them, oneof which is sloping in the lateral direction, yielding means supportingsaid sloping press-plate and power means for producing relativeapproaching movement between said press-plates to cause a graduallyprogressing pressure upon the ngjaterial, substantially as set forth.

2. In a plate-pressior the purpose described, two superposedpress-plates for pressing composite insulating material between them.the lower oi which is sloping in the lateral direction and verticallymovable with respect to the upper which is stationary, and power meansfor raising said lower press-plate against the upper to cause agradually progressing pressure upon the material, substantially as setforth.

3. In a plate-press for the purpose described, two press-plates forpressing comnaaegao posite insulating material between them, one ofwhich is sloping inthelateral direction, yleldmg means supporting saidsloping press-plate and power means for producing relative approachingmovement between said press-plates to cause a gradually progressingpressure upon the material, one at least of the said press plates beingprovided with heating means, substantially as set forth.

4. In a plate-press for the purpose described, two press-plates forpressing composite insulating material between them, one of which isdivided in the middle so as to form two sections and has both itssections roof-like sloping from the middle toward the ends of the plate,yielding means supporting the said two plate sections near their jointand power means for producing relative approaching movement between saidpress-plates to cause a gradually progressing pressure upon. thematerial, substantially as set forth.

5. In a plate-press for the purpose described, two press-plates forpressing composite insulating material between them, one of which isdivided in its middle so as to form two sections and has both itssections roof-like sloping from the middle toward the ends of the plate,yielding means sup porting the said two plate sections near their middlejoint, means to constantly maintain the said two plate sections incontact with one another at the middle joint and to reset them insloping position, and power means for producing relative approachingmovement between said press-plates to cause a gradually progressingpressure upon the material, substantially as set forth.

6. In a plate-press for the purpose described, two press plates forpressing composite insulating material between them, one of which issloping in the lateral direction, yielding means supporting said slopingpress-plate, power means for producing relative approaching movementbetween said press-plates to cause a gradually progressing pressure uponthe material, and a back bearing to rigidly support said sloping platewhen being brought to level positionfor a uniform final pressing stage,substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 18th day ofApril, 1917, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL HAEFELY. Witnesses:

CARL O. SPAMER, JOHN R. GAeNANs.

